In the design of semiconductor devices it is necessary to determine the in-depth and lateral dopant/carrier profiles of the semiconductor element. This profiling is generally accomplished by measuring the resistance or resistivity of the semiconductor element. A known technique for measurement of resistance on a semiconductor element is called a Spreading Resistance Probe (SRP). A semiconductor element is herein cut obliquely and the resistance between in each case two probe points placed on the surface is measured. These probe points or conductors are placed at an interval of approximately 15 to 50 .mu.m. The angle of inclination is in the region of several minutes to several degrees. The conductors are stepped over the obliquely cut portions with a step size in each case of 2.5 to 5 .mu.m. In the SRP technique the resistance measurement can take place with both direct voltage and alternating voltage.
A problem here is the deviation in the contact resistance between conductor and semiconductor element. The point of the conductor is accurately polished, which can sometimes take days, until the contact resistance on a calibration sample reaches a predetermined value. Even after the time-consuming calibration of the points of the conductors the deviation in the contact resistance results in inaccuracies in the measurements.
Additionally, another problem is that the scaling of IC dimensions to the submicron region requires resolution and sensitivity beyond that achievable with the standard SRP technique. Accordingly, a measuring technique with greater sensitivity, dynamic range, and in-depth and lateral resolutions is required.